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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Data Link Springs Upset in Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile

LEXINGTON, KY (April 13, 2012) – Stuart S. Janney III’s Data Link rallied from last place to collar favored Turallure in deep stretch to win the 24th running of the $300,000 Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) by a neck before a Friday afternoon crowd of 19,730 at Keeneland.

Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Alex Solis, Data Link covered the mile on a firm turf course in 1:34.31. The victory was worth $180,000 and increased Data Link’s earnings to $315,500 with a record of 10-5-0-1.

Data Link is a 4-year-old homebred son of War Front out of the Known Fact mare Database. It was the first Grade 1 start for Data Link. Data Link_The Makers 46 Mile Gr I_04-13-12_KEE_Fin

Get Stormy, seeking to become the second repeat winner of the race, led the field of six through early fractions of :23.05 and :47.02 while under token pressure from Pressday (AUS) and Hollinger. Turallure, under Julien Leparoux, and Doubles Partner with Javier Castellano raced as a team in the next flight with Data Link trailing.

The order remained unchanged to the top of the stretch when Get Stormy spurted clear. Turallure made the first move and wrestled the lead at midstretch with Data Link bearing down on the outside and Doubles Partner diving to the inside of Get Stormy when Get Stormy drifted out. Without altering course, Data Link was able to surge by Turallure in the final yards.

Data Link returned $27.20, $7.60 and $4. Turallure paid $3.20 and $2.40 in finishing a half-length in front of Doubles Partner, who paid $2.80 to show. Get Stormy finished a neck back in fourth and was followed by Hollinger and Pressday.

According to Trakus, which records individual sectional times and distance covered for races at Keeneland, Data Link ran the final quarter-mile in :22.46, .26 of a second faster than both Turallure and Doubles Partner. Data Link ran the final eighth of a mile in :11.29, .23 of a second faster than Doubles Partner.

Racing resumes Saturday with the first 12-race program in the history of the track that opened in the fall of 1936. Highlighting the program, that begins at 1:05 p.m., is the 88th running of the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G1) for 3-year-old classic hopefuls. Post time for the Toyota Blue Grass, the 11th race on the program, is 6:18 p.m.

In addition to the Toyota Blue Grass, Keeneland will offer three other graded stakes: the Jenny Wiley (G1) for fillies and mare on the turf that is the eighth race at 4:42 p.m., the Commonwealth (G2) for sprinters going seven furlongs that is the ninth race at 5:13 p.m., and the Shakertown (G3) for turf sprinters going 5½ furlongs that is the 10th race at 5:44 p.m.